Recipes

We’ve received several comments about the picture on our homepage, the black rice salad. Due to popular demand, today’s post provides you with its recipe.

We don’t eat a lot of grains at home. While there is nothing wrong with eating grains (unless you have a specific health condition where you can’t digest them), it is important to watch the quantities consumed and how they are cooked. At times, grains can be hard to digest. If eaten in disproportionate amounts, the grains could put your pancreas under elevated stress. Excessive carbohydrates lead to the pancreas’ secretion of excessive insulin.

Having said that said, it is certainly preferable to eat whole grains cooked at home the proper way, than to consume grains turned into refined flours, boxed cereals or in other ways highly processed.

For a healthy and delicious way to enjoy some black rice (one of my favorite types of rice), I came up with this recipe that we love because of its versatility. Due to its sweetness, it makes a perfect breakfast. It also works well as a side dish or pack it up to take with you on a picnic or lunch at work.

Ingredients:

- 1 cup black rice (soaked overnight)

- 1 red tomato-small diced

- 1 small European cucumber –small diced

- 1 large red apple- small diced

- ¾ cup sunflower seeds (raw or roasted)

- ½ red onion –finely chopped

- 1 tablespoon coconut oil

- sea salt to taste

- 4 tablespoons lime or lemon juice

- 2 tablespoons honey

- 3 tablespoons sesame oil

- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar

Procedure:

1. Prepare by soaking the rice the previous night. The purpose of soaking the rice is to make it more digestible. Most grains, beans, lentils etc, have anti-nutrients like phytic acid that make them very tough for our digestive system.

2. Rinse the rice and use new water to cook it.

3. In a saucepan heat the coconut oil and sauté the finely chopped onion.

4. Add the rice and cook for an additional minute.

5. Add 2 cups of hot water, sea salt and let the water and rice boil. Cook on high heat until most of the water has evaporated and you can see the rice on the surface.

6. Turn down the heat and cover.

7. Cook for an additional 15 minutes or until rice is completely cooked. Some people like rice al dente. Some like it more tender. Depending on preference, cook your rice for 15 to 20 minutes.

8. Let the rice cool and put it in a big bowl.

9. Mix in the rest of the ingredients, including the ones for the dressing.